Liquid dispensing device



k May 28, 1946. c. F. PRANGLEY LIQUID DISPENSING DEVICE Filed Jul za. 1943 2 Sfieets-Sheet 1 i/GZ.

INVENTZ m J 452% May 28, 1946. c. F. PRANGLEY 2,409,883

1 LIQUID DISPENSING mmcg I Filed July 28. 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 28, 1946 UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE LIQUID DISPENSING DEVICE Curtis F. Prangley, Evanston, Ill. Application July 28, 1943, Serial No. 496,421

8 Claims.

This invention relates to liquid fuel pumps of the gasoline service station equipment type, and particularly tothe so-called computing pumps whichcompute not only the volume of liquid dispensed but also the total cost thereof at any prevailing price per unit, such as unit of gasoline or the like.

Among the objects of the present invention are to provide in a liquid fuel dispensing system including a source of liquid supply, a liquid displacement meter, and a total cost register with or without a total gallons register, an electrical follow-up system operated by a meter which includes a generator driven by the meter and a motor electrically operated by the generator to drive the total cost register, and including an electrical follow-up system including a generator driven by the meter, 2. motor receiving current from the generator, and means for varying the speed relation between the generator and the motor in accordance with prevailing price changes per unit volume dispensed; to provide a novel type of potentiometer means for controlling the fields between the generator and motor whereby to control the relative speeds between the generator and motor in accordance with price changes per unit volume dispensed, and wherein the potentiometer is provided with a plurality of adjustments which are combined by means of differential arrangements so that the summation of their adjustments is shown in a price per gallon register; to provide these and other objects of invention as Will be apparent from a perusal of the following specification when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side view with parts broken away, showing the application of the invention to a service station gasoline pump.

Figure 2 is a view on line 2-2 of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a View on line 3-3 of Figure 1. Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view of the electrical wiring system and its connection to the operating parts of the computer pump.

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view of the switch mechanism.

Th invention is shown, for purposes of convenience only, and not by Way of limitation, in connection with a modern type of gasoline dispensing device. It is obvious that other types of devices may be utilized and that gasoline is not the only liquid which may be dispensed in this is shown a tank 2 adapted to hold a quantity 4 of gasoline or other liquid to be dispensed, A

dispensing line 6 projects downwardly; into the tank 2, which may be the usual type of underground tank and is provided at its lower end with the usual type of foot valve, not shown. The upper end of this line 6 projects into a casing 8 which may be of any conventional type, and connects with any type of pump l0 driven as at 12 .by means of an electric motor M. This pump discharges through a continuation of the dispensing line I6 into an air eliminator I8 of conventional type, and thence by means of the pipe 20 to the liquid displacement meter 22. This meter is of any general type and includes a meter shaft 24 which is rotated by means of the liquid flow through the meter causing pistons or a wabble plate or any type of liquid displacement mechanism to turn the shaft 24 in accordance with the liquid flow through the meter. The liquid after passing through the meter passes through dispensing line 26 connected to any type of sight glass 28. From the sight glass 28 the liquid flows through the usual type of flexible hose 30 and thence out through the nozzle 32 which is provided with the usual type of hand operated nozzle valve 34.

. The motor I4 is provided witha switch 36 operated by a switch rod'38 connected to a lever 40 which i controlled by an upward or downward movement of a switch lever 42 which may be associated with the nozzle support, as is well known in patents of the prior art. In the present instance the meter 22, through an appropriate gear box, drives a D. C. generator 46, which generator is electrically connected to the line source of power 48 by means of a supply transformer 50, see Figure 4. The armature of the D. C. generator in turn is electrically connected as at 56 to a D. C. motor 58 which in turn through an appropriate gear box 60, if necessary, drives shaft 62 which operates the cost register 64. This cost register may be of any convenient form and is well known in the prior patented art.

In addition, the meter shaft 24 drives a total gallons or volume register 66 through any type of well known register.

Referring now to Figure 4, means is provided for adjusting the speed ratio between the D. C. generator and the D. C. motor by potentiometer means which is adjustable in accordance with prevailing price changes, that is, in accordance with any selected price per unit volume of liquid, such as the price per gallon of gasoline, which may be 14.5, 22.'7 or whatever the price is. This unit volume may be any value desired. The Ohplice within thatprevailing range.

ject is to synchronize the cost register with the volume register for each selected cost price or unit price and to vary that unit price and correspondingly the ratio of movement of the cost register to the volume register.

As the meter shaft rotates it drives a direct current generator, the armature of which is connected electrically to the armature of a direct current motor that drives the cost register. The field winding of the generator is connected to the lines 48 through the supply transformer 50 and a rectifier l6. nected to the supply transformer 50 through the The field winding of the motor is con-.

rectifier T6 in series with a potentiometer unit.

The potentiometer unit comprises aplurality of 7 individual potentiometers, four being shown, each comprising an adjustable resistance portion and one or more fixed resistance portions and each being connected at one end to the rectifier and at its other end through the blade 10b of a selector ,rendereffective the potentiometer corresponding to the prevailing price range. The wipers of the potentiometers are arranged on a common shaft 12, see Figure 5, and are adjusted to the particular price within the prevailing price range as indicated bythe scale surrounding the shaft 12, see Figure 2. In setting the potentiometer unit the selector switch .16 is first operated to the particular prevailing price range indicated by the scale of Figure 2 and then the shaft 12 is adjusted to position the potentiometer wiper to the particular The potentiometers determine, according to their selection and adjusted position, the voltage applied and the current supplied to the field winding of the motor, and hence determine the ratio of, movement between the motor and generator. The motor, of course, is synchronized with the generator-at a particularratio of movement so long as the potentiometers remain set in the particular ratio. The generator and the motor have a common armature current, and the field windings ofthe motor and generator being connected in common to the rectifier, their movement .will always be synchronized. When the generator slows up or stops, the current supplied by it to the motor armature will decrease or cease altogether, and consequently the motor will slow up in exact proportion to the slowing up of the generator. As the generator speeds "up the current supplied by it to the motor armature increases and themotor likewise speeds up in exact proportion. The cost price per gallon is indicated by the, price counter 80 in Figures 1 and 2. This price counter is operated by the selector switch 10 and the wiper adjusting shaft 12 through a difierential mechanism 18 which sums up the movement of the two..

Obviously the invention is not limited to the specific details of construction disclosed herein but is capable of other modifications and changes without departing from the spirit and scope of a line operated by the fiow of liquid therethrough, 2, cost register, an electric follow-up connecting the meter to the cost register and electric quantity control means controlling said follow-up for adjustably varying the ratio of movement between the cost register and the meter in accordance with price variations per unit volume of liquid dispensed.

.and a cost register driven by said motor, and

means electrically connected to the generator and the motor whereby the unit cost per unit amount dispensed may be varied.

3. In a liquid dispensing apparatus, the combination of a liquid dispensing line, a meter in said line, a generator driven by said meter, a motor'receiving current from said generator, a cost register driven by said motor, and means for varying the speed relation between the generator and the motor in accordance with changes in the unit cost per unit volume of liquid dispensed.

4. In a liquid dispensing apparatus, the combination of a liquid dispensing line, a meter in said dispensing line and operated by the liquid flow, a generator driven by the meter, a motor receiving current from the generator, and adjustable electrical variator means electrically interconnecting the generator and motor for adjusting the value of the current supplied to the motor to vary the speed relation between the generator and the motor in accordance with price changes per unit volume of liquid dispensed.

5. In a liquid dispensing apparatus, the combination of a liquid dispensing line, a meter in said line operated by liquid flow, a volume register driven by said meter, a direct current generator driven by said meter, a direct current motor receiving current from said generator, a cost register driven by said motor, and electrical means including an adjustable potentiometer unit interconnecting the field coils of the generator and motor for varying the speed relation between the generator and motor in accordance with the prevailing price changes per unit volume of liquid dispensed.

6. In a liquid dispensing apparatus, the combination of a liquid dispensing line, a meter in said line operated by liquid flow, a volume register driven by said meter, a direct current generator driven by said meter, a direct current motor receiving current from said generator, a cost register driven by said motor, electrical means including adjustable potentiometers interconnecting the field coils of the generator and motor for varying the speed relation between the generator and motor in accordance with the prevailing price changes per unit volume of liquid dispensed, an indicator for indicating the price per unit volume of liquid dispensed, and a plurality of adjustable potentiometers for varying the speed relation between the generator and motor in accordance with prevailing price changes per unit volume of liquid dispensed, and difierential mechanism interconnecting the plurality of switches with the price per unit volume indicator for causing an indication on the indicator corresponding to the adjustments of the plurality of indicators.

'7. In a liquid dispensing apparatus the combination of a liquid dispensing line, a meter in said line, a volume register driven by the meter, a generator driven by the meter, a motorreceiving urrent from the generator, a cost register driven by the motor, electrical means interconnecting the field coils of the generator and motor, a plurality of potentiometer means associated with the electrical means for varying the speed relation between the generator and the motor in accordance with prevailing price changes per unit volume dispensed, said means for varying the speed relation including a potentiometer selector switch and adjusters for said potentiometers, a unit price per unit of volume indicator, and differential gearing interconnecting the switches and adjusters with said indicator.

8. In a liquid dispensingapparatus the combiation of a liquid dispensing line, a meter in said line, a volume register driven by the meter, a generator driven by the meter, a motor receiving current from the generator, a cost register driven by the motor, electrical means interconnecting the field coils of the generator and motor, a plurality of potentiometer means associated. with interconnecting said switches and said adjusters through a differential mechanism to a single control element of the price per unit volume indicator for indicating the summation of the adjustments of the two switches.

CURTIS F. PRANGLEY. 

